Automatic starter for fluorescent tubes



l N ovo 15,' 1949 F. A. MAUCH ET AL AUTOMATIC STARTER FOR FLUORESCENT TUBES Filed July 5, 1947 INVENTORS E JDJ-JNEN )ZZ/wz.

ATT-'UR EY FREDAMAUGH Patented Nov. 195', 1949 AUTOMATIC STARTER Fon FLUoREsoENT TUBES F-red A. Manch, San Francisco, and Lloyd F. Johnrson, Redwood City, Calif.; said Mauchassignor to Said Johnson Application July 3, 1947, Serial No. 758,864

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved automatic starter for 'uorescent tubes and has for the primary object to provide a new and eicient starter without employing any moving parts.

A plurality of moving parts are employed in the old type of iluorescent tube starters with the result that the heat damages' the contact points causing the said points to often stick, whereby a short is produced that overheats and damages the filament in the tube. When the Contact points become damaged they are not the proper distance apart, which improper distance causes the tubes to blink when they are first lit. Due to the excessive heat the 'contact poi-nts of the starter having moving parts often burn off entirely, preventing their closing the circuit, where-- by the tube will not light. Many fluorescent tubes are often discarded for being inoperative when the actual cause is due to the improper functioning of the starter.

Another object of the present invention is to embody a pair of electric conductors, such as tinfoil, and to provide strips of -Semi-'insulating material, such as wax paper over and between the said tinfoil.

A further object of the present invention is to fold the tinfoil and wax paper strips in a zigzag fashion for increasing the resistance, whereby the voltage is built up in the starter.

A still further object of the present invention J is to form the zigzag foldings in different relative widths to form a circular body capable of tting into a cylindrical housing.

A still further object of the present invention is to cut a portion of each of the said tinfoil and wax paper strips of a narrower dimension than the general width of the strips and to form the general wide portion of each strip in a zigzag fashion and wind the narrow portions around the zigzag formations to increase the resistance and thereby build up the voltage for accommodating fluorescent lights of higher wattage.

A still further object of the present invention is to construct the device in a manner which will enable the same to be connected to a conventional starter socket.

A still further object of the present invention is an automatic starter of the character described for fluorescent tubes, that is durable, simple in construction, economical to manufacture and highly eflicient and serviceable in use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specication, wherein for the purpose of illustration like numerals designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is an elongated elevational View illustrating the preferred form of one of the strips of tinfoil and wax paper employed in the in- Vention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating the principle of the invention, in general, and showing the relative arrangement and method of folding the tinfoil and wax paper,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken through the enlarged part of the casing illus- `trating the zigzag unit foldings of the tinfoil and wax paper into a circular form and the method of winding a portion of the tinfoil and wax paper around the zigzag circular formation,

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the starter as on lines 4 4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the housing enclosing the device,

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken through line 6-6 kof Fig. 4, looking in direction of the arrows,

Fig. "I is an outer side elevational view of the starter, and

Fig. 8 is diagrammatic view illustrating the fluorescent tube in a conventional circuit and also showing a second circuit and the location of the improved automatic starter employed in the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing and the numerals thereof, the numerals 9 and I0, in Fig. 2, each designate a strip of tinfoil and the numerals II, I2 and I3, illustrated in dotted lines, designate strips of wax paper for shielding the said strips of tinfoil. It will be noted that the strips of tinfoil 9 and I 0 are separated by the strip of wax paper I2 and that the outer surfaces of the said tinfoil strips 9 and I0 are covered by the strips of Wax paper II and I3 respectively. The waX vpaper functions both as a semi insulator and a semi conductor enabling voltage to build up and at the same time preventing the tinfoil strips from shorting. All of the said strips are preferably formed as shown in Fig. 1, with a wide portion I4 and a narrow portion I5. The wide portions I4 of the strips are overlapped in zigzag fashion forming unit folds I6 as shown to advantage in Fig. 3 and the narrow portions I5 are then wound around the said folded portions as indicated at I1. It will be noted that each of the said unit folds I6 are made of such proportionate widths relative to each other as will provide a circular formation I8 as shown in Fig. 3 which formation is capable of conforming with and ftting into an electrical insulation tube I 9 as -shown to advantage in Fig. 4. The wound portion is formed to iit into the upper enlarged insulation tube 20. The said enlarged wound portion is not necessary for the smaller wattage lights such as and 20 watt. The numeral 2l designates an insulation disc covering the enlarged combined zigzag and wound portion of the tinfoil and wax paper and the numeral 22 designates the insulation disc covering the lower zig-Y zag portion. The numeral 23 designates an intermediate disc. A suitable cylindrical housing 24, made of sheet metal or any other suitable material is provided for enclosing the said starter. A pair of conventional electric contact buttons 25 and 26 are provided and connected to the tinfoil strips 9 and Ill by electric conducting wires 2l and 28, respectively. The said buttons are fixed into the outer lower insulation disc 29 and abut the inner insulation disc 22. Suitable openings 30 and 3| are provided in the said disc .22 for accommodating the said wires. The said housing 24 is formed with lips 24, which lips are bent over as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 for retaining the starter within the housing.

In the diagrammatic drawing shown to advantagein Fig. 8, the numerals 32 and 33 designate the lines connected to the source of supply and the numeral3li designates the fluorescent tube. The numerals 35 and 36 designate the filaments of the fluorescent light. The numeral 3l designates the ballast as aV whole, which ballast is connected to the line 32 by the conductor 38 and to the filament 36 of the fluorescent tube 33 by the conductor 39. The line 33 is also connected to the ballast and the line 32 is connected to the filament 35 of the uorescent tube, thus completing the main circuit. The numerals l0 and il designate electric conductors connected to the Vfluorescent tube filaments 35 and 35, respectively,

which conductors are connected to the starter contact buttons 25 and 26 thus completing the starter circuit.

From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing it will be obvious that when the said circuits are closed the resistance produced by the zigzag folding of the tinfoil strips in the starter will immediately build up the necessary Voltage for the initial starting of the tube. The said starter can be employed for one tube or in combination with a plurality of tubes if desired.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and 4 that various changes relative to the shape, size, material and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An automatic starter for fluorescent tubes comprising a plurality of strips of tinfoil material, a plurality of strips of wax paper separating the said strips of tinfoil, a portion of the said strips of tinfoil and wax paper being shaped in a zigzag formation and another portion being wound around the said zigzag formation to build up a greater resistance, whereby the voltage is increased for starting the tube.

2. An automatic starter for fluorescent tubes comprising a pair of elongated strips of tinfoil material, the said strips being formed in two widths including a narrow portion and a Wider portion, a plurality of similar strips formed of wax paper and alternately assembled with the said tinfoil strips, the wide portions of the material being overlapped in a zigzag fashion forming a circular unit and the narrow portions being wound around the said circular unit, whereby the voltage is increased for starting the tube.

3. In combination with a fluorescent tube and an electric circuit therefor, a starter circuit connected to the tube, an automatic starter in the starter circuit and embodying in its construction, a casing, a plurality of flexible strips of me tallic material arranged in zigzag formation positioned therein, and means partially insulating the said strips one from the other, whereby the voltage is increased for the initial starting of the tube.

FRED A. MAUCH. LLOYD F. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 19,V 1938 

